The room is so much lighter. The new “old” floors make a huge difference as does the paint color. I was consumed for days regarding which shade of Farrow & Ball white was the best white for the walls. We decided to use Skimming Stone.

The chairs were custom made by Tondini & Radicchi. So were all the draperies in the house.

One of the bedrooms mid-renovation.

After.

A bathroom before.

After.

Wider shot of the living room. The sofas, coffee table, and sconces are custom.

The studio.

This room receives little natural light. Many people assume that a small dark room must be painted a very light color in order to make it look bigger. Not true. It seems counter-intuitive but going darker gives a small room more depth.

One of my Italian friends called this décor, “Relaxed Chic.” Another friend said it was “Casual Luxury.” Both work for me.

Every bedroom, and its bathroom is unique, yet the entire home is cohesive.

The paint is from Farrow & Ball.

Most of the new furniture was custom made. We also sourced pieces from Flamant, Barthel, and small shops in Rome and Tuscany.

38 thoughts on “The Tuscany Project”

All I can say is WOW. Congrats on a fantastic job Arlene. You should be so proud of the amazing work done here. Every picture is more beautiful than the next. In the words of Liz Lemon, I want to go to there!!

Beautiful – well done! I love the color in that living room and *so* want that bathtub! Looking at the rubble that became a bathroom – that looks like the adjacent stall we’ll someday turn into some kind of living space. When we do, want a road trip to Basilicata? 😉

really really beautiful!! wow! i love the modern take on rustic minimalism in the bedrooms. of course, i know nothing of design, but that’s how it strikes me. i also love the mirrors in the bathrooms, they look like picture frames. what about the kitchen?

Regarding budgeting, it depends on the project. If it’s a small one, for example just one room or a terrace, we might decide on an hourly rate. For larger projects, it’s a percentage of the budget. I don’t do the standard 35% – 40% markup.

All designer discounts are passed on to my client and they pay the vendor directly. It’s more transparent. Even if my company were based in the US, I would do it this way instead of a fee PLUS markup.

It’s fabulous. What I like the most is that it retained its traditional heritage while bringing in a fresh, contemporary feel. Really excellent. My favorite pictures are the before and after of the bathroom! haha. I hope this catapults you into lots of new projects and and exciting future!!! You so deserve it.

Arlene — that is just crazy that you achieved all that beauty!!!! What a transition you have made. Your talent (and hard work) shines through. Congratulations to you and I hope to see many more dream projects from you!!